After a stellar first season in Ann Arbor — with a lot of games left to go — Danny Wolf is now being viewed as a potential first-round pick. Here’s how high the latest NBA mock drafts have Wolf being selected this summer:
We are still more than four months away from the 2025 NBA Draft , but it’s never too early to look at mock drafts to see where current Michigan Wolverines may end up.
Somewhat surprisingly, Vlad Goldin doesn’t show up on any of the mock drafts we looked at this week. The Russian big man is certainly skilled, but he isn’t a modern NBA big. The league has devalued post-moves and has put an emphasis on rim-running and shot-blocking. I would expect Goldin to have a long professional career overseas somewhere with an NBA appearance doubtful.
As for who does appear consistently on mock drafts, that distinction belongs to Danny Wolf. The skilled 7-footer can dribble, shoot, attack the basket and can switch on any position on defense — all very desired traits for NBA franchises. While he will have to work out his turnover issues and get more consistent at the point of attack on defense, he’s exactly the type of project NBA teams love taking on.
So how high could Wolf go in the draft? Let’s check out the latest mock drafts to find out.
On3 Big Board : No. 12 overall prospect
Dusty May has unlocked an entirely new person this season. Danny Wolf is showcasing so many playmaking abilities, things we did not see from him at Yale. Wolf is unique in his ability to initiate offense at his size, but also knock down shots and rebound. Ultimately, there will be questions about his average foot speed and on the defensive end, but his ability to create an offensive advantage from each level of the court is intriguing. Wolf showed he can score on the low block at Yale and he is showing at Michigan that he can be the hub of an offense. He will need to tone down his turnovers, and that may come with more spacing and in-role reps, but his ability to create an offensive advantage with the ball in his hands plays into today’s basketball.
On3 is the most optimistic of the services we looked at. They have him going late in the lottery with a chance at being a top-10 pick. The improvement Wolf has made from his time at Yale is incredible.
Sports Illustrated
: No. 30 overall to the Phoenix Suns (via a trade with Cleveland)
SI has Wolf being the last pick of the first round and being paired up with Kevin Durant, who could certainly mentor Wolf early in his career. The Suns have struggled this season but could use some insurance in the front-court, making Wolf an appealing choice.
Other notable Big Ten names in this mock draft include Dylan Harper (No. 2 overall), Kasparas Jakucionis (No. 4), Ace Bailey (No. 5), Derik Queen (No. 16), Will Riley (No. 19) and Jase Richardson (No. 23).
Tankathon Big Board
: No. 25 overall prospect
Tankathon’s mock adjusts any time you update the lottery settings, so their Big Board is more useful to look at for our purposes. They have Wolf as the 25th-best prospect in the draft. Interestingly, of the 24 prospects ahead of him, only one is older than Wolf (Marquette’s Kam Jones is 23).
Funnily enough, the team that currently owns the 25th pick is the Orlando Magic. While there is obviously a lot to still shake out regarding both draft order and prospect rankings, it would be funny to see another Wolverine added to a roster that already contains Franz Wagner, Mo Wagner, Caleb Houstan and Jett Howard.
NBADraft.Net
: No. 49 overall (mid-second round) to the Cleveland Cavaliers
This site is significantly lower on Wolf than On3, SI, and Tankathon. They have Wolf going after all the same Big Ten prospects that SI did, but in addition to Washington’s Tyler Harris (No. 25). Wolf would be an odd fit with Cavaliers, as he is just two years younger than Evan Mobley. They play the same position, so Wolf would be a bench option at best in Cleveland.